Meet JoJo Spencer: Owner at JoJo’s Photos & Studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with JoJo Spencer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi JoJo, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I knew I had the skill set to run my own business. I understood leadership from past occupations, and I knew the importance of having a team to continually get to the next level. Also, I was tired of having a boss (though all my bosses in the past were amazing).

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
– We are small studio located in rural Minnesota (Isanti) that primarily focuses on portrait photography; Models, headshots, families, maternity, newborns, senior photos, etc….. – I try to set the tone for how a photography business is run. Most photography businesses are run by a single person: the photographer. The marketing, branding, book keeping, responding to clients, photoshoots, editing, networking all fall on the lap of the photographer. We have a team of 9 (4 employees, 4 interns) to handle every area that’s not a strength of mine, which allows me to focus on what I love to do within the company; shooting, editing, networking, and leading. I’m surprised at how easy it has been. I credit that to the amazing team that handles all the stuff I need help with. It has allowed me to invest in the team and the company. – The greatest lesson I learned is the importance of dependency on those on the team and letting them know how valuable they are to the company and to me. Being allowed to continue doing what I love and trusting all the other details are being taken care of is a liberating feeling for any business owner.

Also, being a small business that is dependent on the community we live in, we love to regularly give thanks by giving back to our community. Whether it be giving free shoots to single moms that are struggling or financially investing back into our community, we truly believe that is the heart of the company. One example is we have created a college scholarship for one high school graduate this year. -Our company needs to give back to those that have invested in us. We see our role in our community as something bigger than just a photography company. We see it as a company that truly does love the community that has showed us so much love. For the health of the company, it’s essential that we are a generous company.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If there were any locations they were interested to visit, I would oblige. For sure Mall Of America. We would make a trip to Duluth for sure. I mainly would want to show them how beautiful northern Minnesota is, I would want to take them to a cabin up to Northern Minnesota. We would eat at a place or two, but I enjoy cooking so much, we would mainly just feast at our house. Primarily Vietnamese cuisine. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I need to recognize three people that showed me a great deal on how to run a business effectively. Mary Lodin, Local Business Woman. Ena Easter, business man and former boss. Bill Berg, Community Servant and former Boss. Plus my amazing wife Timery that helps me carve out the time needed to stay busy.

Website: www.jojosphotosandstudiomn.com

Instagram: @jojosphotosandstudio

Facebook: JoJo’s Photos & Studio, LLC